Computer-implemented unified communications applications enable users thereof to receive and transmit real-time communications by way of a plurality of differing communications modalities. For instance, an exemplary unified communications application can be configured to support instant messaging, teleconferencing, video conferencing, voicemail retrieval, calendar syncing, content sharing, amongst other communications modalities.
Conventionally, most unified communications applications are installed on computing devices that have operating systems installed thereon that employ a windowing model, such that a user of a computing device can have multiple applications executing simultaneously. For example, on a traditional computing desktop, the user can be participating in a meeting by way of the unified communications application while accessing other applications in different windows, such as an email application, a web browser, a word processor, or the like. The user can size and arrange application windows to allow the user to multi-task; thus, the user can participate in the meeting while performing some other task. In another example, the user can minimize the unified communications application and rely on a conventional task bar to notify the user when a new real-time communication (such as a new instant message) has been received by way of the unified communications application. For instance, an icon that represents the unified communications application can be highlighted in the task bar when a new real-time communication is received.
Relatively recently, however, mobile computing devices, such as tablet computing devices (sometimes referred to as slate computing devices), mobile phones, mobile media players, and the like have increased in popularity. Due at least in part to the relatively small size of display screens on such mobile computing devices compared to conventional computer displays, the windowing model utilized in operating systems installed on desktop computing devices may not be ideal for mobile computing devices. Thus, “window-less” operating systems are currently being developed and deployed. Accordingly, conventional techniques for multi-tasking may be inoperable with such window-less operating systems.